A Beautiful Walled Garden
by Nymeria1994
Summary: During the geth-quarian conflict of the 1890s, approximately a year before the quarians retreat from Rannoch, a quarian child from a remote area of the planet finds and attempts to repair a damaged geth that had been discarded by its creator.


**_Title:_ A Beautiful Walled Garden.**

 ** _Summary:_ During the geth-quarian conflict of the 1890s, approximately a year before the quarians retreat from Rannoch, a quarian child from a remote area of the planet finds and attempts to repair a damaged geth that had been discarded by its creator.**

 **Notes: Inspired by a piece of art I found while browsing through the "geth" tag, the one used as the cover image. I wish I could take credit for it, but I can't and I won't (I wish I was that good at art), and I was unable to find the original artist. Upon seeing it, I felt like I needed to elaborate on it somehow, so this happened.**

 ** _Rating:_ K+; violence and war mostly just implied or non-descriptive, since this is seen through the eyes of a child about 8-10 years old.**

 ** _Disclaimer(s):_ Mass Effect belongs to Bioware; I only own the quarian and geth characters featured here.**

* * *

 _1894_

* * *

An endless stretch of rock walls, deserts, and caverns. Skies that were almost always clear. A small number of people. Close to the edge, near a cliff that dropped off into the ocean, stood a little house with three people living inside.

Nina'Haeris spends most of her time outside, not venturing too far, when her mother and father are busy. She's young but knows her way around. She knows the terrain, the dangers, the way back home. She doesn't get lost anymore.

Today is no different. Her parents are working, not far from their home, so they're fairly close if Nina needs anything. She grabs her bag, making sure she has packed her drawing supplies, water, enough snacks to last half a day, a compass (just to be safe).

She's set and ready to leave. She scribbles a note, the handwriting uneven, for her parents on the table, before she ventures out the back door and down the path to the cliffs.

They are her favorite place to go. She can sit a few feet from the edge, looking out at the sea, and draw to her heart's content. Her hand is not as steady as her mother's but she doesn't mind. She has a lifetime to improve.

Today the skies are as clear as ever, with a soft breeze to cool the atmosphere. She prefers the clouds and their many shapes, some that she copies to paper, others she just gazes at in wonder. She's curious how that works, how everything in the universe works, and hopes to find out when she's older.

In her sketchbook, she draws Haestrom, or at least how she imagines it. She has never been there, and only knows what her father has told her of it from his one visit. His own father resides there, and he has promised to take her there one day to meet her grandfather. She looks forward to it.

She eats when she reaches the gardens. Not kept by anyone, flowers and weeds grow in abundance, in different colors ranging from pink to violet to red. She doesn't pull any from the ground, preferring to draw them instead.

She climbs the plateau later, finds her favorite tree, and climbs as high as she's comfortable. She moves a little bit higher every couple of weeks. It is the tallest tree near her house, and at her current height, she has a wonderful view, the cliffs and fields and open prairies of her tiny Rannoch village that go on for many miles beyond her view.

She returns home when the sun has made its circle halfway across the sky, looking forward to what she will do tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, she follows her usual routine. She waits for her parents to leave, then packs her bag and returns to the cliffs.

The sky is partly cloudy, the sun passing through the thick clouds, before emerging again, then hiding, then shining, in a continuous order. She goes to the cliffs, but decides today not to draw. Instead, she lies on her back and closes her eyes, just takes in and enjoys the cool, gentle breeze, her dark hair tickling her face, despite most of it being tied into a braid down her back.

It is awhile before she moves again, content just to stay where she is, but she can't be still all day. Too much to do and see to waste the hours in one place.

She goes to the stream, gentle and calming, wanders barefoot into the water and collects a few pebbles with pretty patterns hiding under the surface. Blue. Red. Violet. Even grey. She isn't picky.

She's thankful she can go about her day without bugs to bother her. Other homeworlds are full of them, so she's heard, but Rannoch is lucky. Still, she knows that is part of the cause for her people getting sick so easily.

She's glad she's not sick now. Bedrest makes her bored and restless. She needs to stay busy, keep moving, be doing something, or she goes crazy.

She hears a funny sound, mechanical, not far away. She knows she shouldn't go look, that it may not be safe, but her curiosity gets the better of her, and, step-by-step, her feet take her forward.

Around a corner, at the bottom of the rock wall, sits a geth. She doesn't know much about the geth, only that they are robotic and serve her people. What if it tries to hurt her if she walks up to it? She considers that for a few seconds, before deciding it can't.

This geth is injured, half of one of its legs and arms gone, the other arm completely gone, only wires seen at the tears. The light in its head is blinking on and off in an uneven rhythm, like its power is failing.

"C-C-Creator ch-child," it stammers in greeting, shakily nodding its head to her.

Its voice is not like hers: unnatural, like its programmed, and with no emotion. She likes the sound of it anyway. She waits for it to say more, but it doesn't. Sure it isn't going to attack, she moves closer.

"Hi, geth," she says cheerfully. "What's your name?"

The geth seems confused, and says, "Creator G-Gera has not g-given this unit a n-name."

She thinks that's unfair, and says so. She introduces herself with a smile. "I'm Nina'Haeris. Nice to meet you."

"Good a-afternoon, crea-creator child Haeris." It gives her a polite nod, which she thinks looks funny, but she doesn't laugh.

"Can I give you my own name?" she asks. She doesn't want to keep calling him "geth", seeing it as rude.

The geth is silent at first, then says, "That is acceptable-ble."

Her hands are folded behind her back, she stands to her full height, trying to look grown-up and important, as her parents often do. "Okay. I think I'll call you Shenn."

* * *

Nina begins to visit Shenn everyday. She eventually calls it a "he". He still has one leg but can't walk. He tries but falls, and she has to help him back to his seat, or move from his original place at all.

She doesn't tell her parents about him. She's young but observant. She notices the tension between her people and the geth, hears her father and mother talking about "martial law and war". _Possible_ war.

She wonders if that has anything to do with why Shenn's creators took him apart and threw him out.

She's determined to put him back together. She's always been told that she's kind, and she plans to prove it.

It's not an easy job finding and reattaching his limbs, which were scattered nearby. Patiently, he talks her through the process. She tries to be gentle, and realizes that Shenn does not feel pain, not like she does. She's careful with him besides simply for decency.

She has little problem with the light, while his speech is the hardest thing to fix. She has to open his neck, where the throat would be on a quarian, and readjust the vocal wires until his voice is clear. Perhaps that is why it is a struggle for her, before she reminds herself that he does not have blood, and this will not be fatal for him.

When her work is done, it's messy. It is not as neat as it would have been if an adult had operated on him. She feels proud of herself anyway.

It takes her over a week to finish. She tells him about herself, her family, what she likes to do for fun. He tells her about his creator, the creator's family, how he ended up in the rocks. While they talk, she is cautious to watch what she's doing so that she doesn't make any big mistakes.

She finds herself fascinated by him, and as such, stays out longer during the day. She takes extra drinks, snacks, and even paper and markers. She draws Shenn by the ocean; the portrait is not perfect, but beautiful.

Her parents notice her extended absences and ask what she's up to. She doesn't want to tell them the truth, scared she will no longer be able to help Shenn, or worse, that they will hurt him as Gera hurt him. They are not against the geth, but she doesn't want to cause more problems for Shenn or put him in danger from others.

* * *

She fears for Shenn's well-being when she is kept inside by the rain.

As a geth, he's smart, but he isn't fully healed yet. He still trembles when he stands, and can't completely control the movement of his arms and legs. She hopes the water doesn't damage the places where she fastened his limbs back to his body.

She sits by the window and watches the water dripping down the window. She likes clouds, except when they are dark and quick in movement. The thunder and lightning scares her, so when it grows stronger, she moves to the living room.

Without her parents to keep her company, the outdoors to keep her busy, and Shenn to keep her entertained, she grows more and more agitated.

She sketches to stay occupied. The raindrops on glass, the sun of Haestrom, the low lighting of Rannoch's skies, Shenn before and after she healed him. Whatever comes to mind.

Her parents are in conversation when they walk in that evening. She catches the words "getting worse", "won't effect us", and "maybe leave Rannoch".

What that is about, she isn't sure. She finds her own conclusions. The tension with the geth "getting worse". Hoping the problem "won't effect us". "Maybe leave Rannoch" to be safe.

She doesn't want to ask what they are talking about for sure. She might accidentally give away her secret about Shenn. He's not well enough yet to defend himself if someone else finds him.

Her mother tells her to be alert and cautious while she's outside, not to stay out after dark, keep away from any geth she finds, and don't speak to unfamiliar quarians.

She nods obediently. She's suddenly tempted to tell her mother of Shenn's existence, until her father walks in, and she loses heart. Better to tell them one at a time, if at all.

* * *

She goes from curious to nervous when strange people enter their home.

They are not civilians, but wearing armor and carrying weapons. They are stern in manner, much more so than her parents ever have been. She finds herself intimidated by them.

She stays away from them but can hear them speaking to her parents. Something about new laws concerning the geth. "Exterminate on sight". "Call authorities if one is sighted". "Do not engage unless absolutely necessary".

They don't stay long, and she's glad for that. She doesn't like these kinds of people in her home, threatening Shenn without realizing it, giving her parents unfair orders in their own house.

Bright as she is for her age, she doesn't understand the new rules against the geth. What have they done so wrong? She's known Shenn for a month now, and he's only been good and sweet. What do these people have to fear from him?

* * *

She tells Shenn stories of Haestrom, passed down from her father.

"He says it's a science station, not military. He didn't work there, but took supplies to them. My grandfather is a scientist. I haven't met him yet."

"Do you wish to?"

"Of course. Dad is going to take me to Haestrom one day to meet him."

"We. . .hope that day is soon."

He talks funny, she thinks, always saying "we" instead of "I", his mind a group instead of a single person. She doesn't mind it.

"And the star is dying," she adds, "and turning into a. . .oh, I forgot what he called it."

"A red giant," Shenn finishes for her.

"Is that what happens when a star dies?"

"It is the first stage, yes," he confirms, and from there, she wants to talk about something else.

He tells Nina about Tuchanka, the krogan homeworld, a place she'd like to visit.

"I want a pet varren," she says. "Do you think they could survive here on Rannoch?"

"Available data suggests varren are highly adaptable, and can thrive on most known planets," Shenn explains.

She opens her mouth to respond, but Shenn continues, "However, this platform strongly advises against domesticating varren, as they are aggressive, territorial, and possess a bite force of-"

"What about a rachni?" Nina interrupts.

"Rachni also aggressive, territorial, and possess a neurotoxin capable of killing a creator child," he described. "Also, extinct."

"Extinct?"

"No longer in existence."

The thought makes her sad, but she doesn't want to ask the story behind it, afraid to hear it. She hopes the same word, "extinct", wouldn't, in the future, be said for the geth or quarians if war actually began.

"Hmm. . .what do you think?" she asked.

"Perhaps a pyjak?"

"Pyjak?"

"A small primate native to the planet Eletania. Organics may refer to them with the word 'cute'."

She laughs, and Shenn supposes he would have too, if he were organic himself.

* * *

When Shenn is able to walk decently, she takes him for a tour of her favorite places. The cliff leading down into the ocean, the garden, the stream. She shows him her collection of drawings she has saved over the years of each place and the details of their settings.

She shares the sketches of him. The day she found him, after she healed him, the pair of them standing among the flowers of the garden. She tells him she wants to remember should they ever be separated, or if she ever has to leave Rannoch.

She's always wanted to place on paper an image of the ocean's fading horizon from high up in her favorite tree. She's never felt safe to do so while on her own, but now Shenn is here, and he can look out for her.

In the higher branches, but not quite the top, she starts on her goal. Shenn waits patiently on the ground, looking out at what she is drawing as far as he can see. For a moment, she imagines herself and Shenn on a boat, sailing out across the sea to find what the rest of the planet has to offer, but with a shake of her head, she focuses back on her work.

When it is completed, she gazes at it proudly before she tucks it away in her bag and tosses it to Shenn. He catches it, sets it aside, and straightens to watch as she climbs down. She's done this a hundred times before without a problem, but today, she loses her footing and her grip and plummets to the ground.

She lets out a short scream as she falls, preparing herself for her body to hit hard rock, until a pair of arms catch her. She looks up to see Shenn staring down at her; if he were a quarian, he might look concerned. The light in his head blinks twice, and he asks, "Creator child Haeris, are you hurt?"

She doesn't feel any pain, only relief. "I'm okay, Shenn." She hugs him, or tries to, her arms not quite able to wrap around any more than his chest. "Thank you."

* * *

Five months after, and she starts hearing gunfire and explosions in the distance, but still too close to her village to feel safe.

She's half-scared to leave home, but even more scared that something bad will happen to Shenn. She doesn't want to leave him alone for too long, only to come back and find him hurt again, or worse.

Her parents continue their talk of whether or not to leave Rannoch. "It isn't safe here," they say. "Abandon before we get caught in the crosshairs". "Never had a geth, so nothing to worry about."

She knows for certain now that these problems are related to the geth. What they have done to earn the anger of the quarians, she isn't sure, and she doesn't ask. She's afraid to know if Shenn may or may not be involved.

She wants to keep it to herself, keep him a secret, for his own good, but she also wants someone else to know about him, just in case. She feels guilty and shameful for keeping this from her parents for so long. She shares her thoughts with Shenn, and they come to an agreement.

She's nervous, and her hands are trembling, when she takes her mother to meet Shenn.

She doesn't say a word at first, taking in the information that her young daughter has been taking care of a geth, behind her parents' backs, and hiding it from them so well. She isn't upset, only shocked, which calms Nina.

Three days pass, and her father is also introduced to Shenn.

His reaction isn't the same as her mother's; he is speechless, staring wide-eyed at the geth. Shenn has followed Nina's mother's directions to look as non-threatening as possible, his body relaxed, arms by his side, head bowed a little.

Her father has said nothing so far, and when he does, it is only to order his wife and daughter back to their home, leaving Shenn behind.

* * *

For the next week, Nina waits, anxious, as her parents discuss what to do about Shenn.

"Report it". "Shut it down". "Forget about it". Only ideas, not threats, finding the best solution to the problem.

They ask Nina about him: how did they meet, how long has she been meeting with him, has he tried to harm her, does anyone else know about him, has she seen any other geth around, why didn't she tell them sooner.

She answers as well as she can, and knows they believe her. They continue their talks with the new information they have, with Nina waiting another two days.

She is pleased and relieved when, finally, they reach the decision to take Shenn into their home.

When they bring him in, she watches closely, hoping to learn something, as her father properly repairs Shenn's limbs, improving where Nina made small mistakes. He is impressed that her work was nearly perfect for a child, the wiring mostly correct.

Her parents create a resting place for him near Nina's room, giving her peace of mind that he will be safe and is welcome here. She finds it strange they are so accepting of him, until her mother tells her that as long as Nina has known him, he has never tried to hurt her, so they feel no reason to fear him.

Later, she is given warnings again as caution against the tension between their people and Shenn's: avoid unknown quarians, limit her outings away from the house during the day, come straight home if she hears gunfire near.

"Shenn can stay for now," they say, "but don't make a habit of making friends with geth. They may not all be friendly. The quarians, too."

* * *

 _1895_

* * *

Four months go by. Nina doesn't leave the house as much with Shenn living here. He keeps her entertained while her parents work, and when she does go outside, he accompanies her.

She sees that, even with the choice they made, her parents are wary of Shenn at first. Nina isn't bothered by that. They have only just met him, and need time to get to know him. She thinks it helps that she is so attached to him and trusts him, and with time, her father and mother both grow to consider him part of the Haeris family.

The dangers of keeping a geth are not forgotten. Her parents talk of the war getting worse and moving closer, and Nina notices this herself, especially when she's out. Her time away from the house is cut shorter and shorter, until her father and mother tell her not to leave the yard, wanting her to stay as close as possible.

They still want to leave Rannoch, and Nina becomes more and more sure that will happen soon. She hates the thought of that; she wants to travel the world, but suddenly doesn't want to leave the only home she's ever known, fearing they might never come back when they do.

One early morning, she sits on the roof with Shenn, looking out over her village. Her sketchbook is in her lap, pencil in hand, as she tries to decide where to begin.

She starts on the left, the rocks and paths leading out to the ocean, shining under the sun. She moves to the middle, in the direction of the stream and the garden and her favorite tree. She finishes on the right, the rock walls that go on for miles before meeting the nearest city.

She adds, on another sheet, her house, a peaceful home with a quarian family and their geth companion, making sure to include the living area, the kitchen, her room, her parents' room, Shenn's space.

It is midday when she is done. She pulls out all the drawings she has ever done, looks through them, takes in all the details, sometimes points out a small feature to Shenn.

Her home. Her village. Her Rannoch. This beautiful walled garden she never wants to forget.

* * *

Shenn is hidden away when quarian military officials visit again, investigating the home looking for a geth. Nina is still fearful of them, their authority, and the weapons they carry, made worse when they warn her parents that they will be arrested and detained if they are found assisting or harboring geth.

She notices when her father finally makes official plans to abandon Rannoch for the Citadel. "It will be safe there," he tells her when she asks why.

"What about Shenn?" she adds, already knowing the answer before he says it.

Her father sighs, sets aside his work, and kneels down to her level. "Nina, I'm sorry, but Shenn cannot go with us."

"Why not?"

"The Citadel is safe for us, but not for him," he says. "He would be in just as much danger there as he is here. No one outside Rannoch is even supposed to know about the geth."

"Why?"

He explains as best as he can, about laws in the galaxy against the creation of artificial intelligences, which applies to Shenn, and could get him and the Haeris family into trouble. She doesn't fully understand, unable to see how Shenn could be considered a threat to anyone.

It is hard for her to accept that, when her family goes, they must leave Shenn behind. He is her friend, her brother in her mind, and she hates that he can't go with them. She doesn't cry, preferring to stay strong and be grateful for the time she does have with Shenn now.

She's not scared for him. Completely recovered now, she believes he can take care of himself on his own. She only knows it's going to hurt saying goodbye to him.

* * *

Mere weeks after, her father announces the day they will go. "Take only what you need," he says. "The rest can be replaced."

She packs no more than two bags. Clothes. Her drawings. A few important belongings. With her mother's permission, she gives a necklace passed down through her family to Shenn, something for him to remember her by. He's not sure of the purpose of this, so she explains the sentimental value, and he accepts her gift.

The night before, she can't sleep, so she leaves her room and goes to Shenn. She lies awake half the night, listening to him tell her whatever information he has about Rannoch's history, other homeworlds like Thessia and Sur'Kesh, what they guess is beyond the edges of the Milky Way. At some point, while he is explaining how the Turian Hierarchy works, she finally falls asleep.

The next morning, her father and mother make final preparations to secure their home, unsure when or if this war will end to enable them to come back. Nina doesn't leave Shenn's side, sitting with him at the window, no words between them, only resting in each other's company.

She is startled by the arrival of unexpected visitors shortly before they are set to go. Her father glances outside; his expression is alarmed as he says in a low voice, "Shenn, take Nina and hide."

The geth does so, and once he and Nina are out of the room and hidden, Nina's father lets in people whose voices she recognizes as having military authority.

She and Shenn are so quiet that, even so far from the house's entrance, she can hear the conversation between the officers and her parents. "Radar scans indicate there is a geth presence in this home. We've been given authorization to thoroughly search the premises, with or without your consent."

"There is no need," her father insists. "We told the men who were here before that we do not have a geth. You have no reason for a search."

"Either you lied, or you have since taken in a geth, because there are geth signatures detected here," the second soldier argued. "Now, cooperate and step aside, or you will be arrested for obstruction of an investigation, and an added charge of sheltering geth if one is found."

"We do not have a geth," her mother claimed. "If you have no better proof of such a thing, then you need to leave our home."

"Do not force our hand, Haeris," the first soldier says, trying for peace.

"That is not our intention," her father responds. "We have a child here, and would like to avoid violence."

"Then stand down."

"No. You do not have a valid reason to be here. Get out."

She listens as their arguing becomes more intense, her parents and the soldiers eventually raising their voices. She hears a struggle, and pictures her parents being restrained. She covers her mouth with her hands to hold in her scream when five gunshots are fired, echoing through the house.

She feels safer when Shenn pulls her closer, until there is the sound of the officers searching through the house, loudly, tearing apart anything within the home that could hide a geth. She doesn't want to think about what will happen when they find her and Shenn.

She is surprised when Shenn releases her, gently pushes her further into their hiding place, and says, "Stay here, Nina."

She reaches out to him as he stands and walks away, not wanting him to leave her. She doesn't know where he is going or why, only that he is putting himself in danger. She can only wait, staying as quiet as possible. She doesn't cry out when she hears two more struggles, four more gunshots, two _thuds_ , and then silence.

Footsteps begin to approach her hiding place, and when light is shed on her, she looks up to see Shenn standing in front of her.

White fluid is leaking from his shoulder and leg, what she guesses is geth "blood", but he seems mostly unhurt. Scared and relieved, she doesn't hesitate to break down and cry as she jumps into his arms.

* * *

Shenn wastes no time taking Nina from the Haeris home. He's listened to enough of her parents' conversations to know where she must go, and they would want her there immediately. This is how he will honor all they have done for him for over four months.

He hadn't let Nina say goodbye to her parents. He didn't want her to see the bodies. She shouldn't have to remember her father and mother like that. He could only promise her that he would give them a proper burial.

She's uncharacteristically silent the entire walk, not a word in a day and a half. He knows she's not a naive child; she's aware of what happened to her parents, that they are dead, were killed. He feels something akin to sympathy for her. Children shouldn't be forced to grow up without the strength of their father and the love of their mother.

He is careful to avoid other creators as he travels. They would hurt him, and then he couldn't help Nina. He's unsure what they would do with her if he weren't with her, so he doesn't take any unnecessary risks to get her to safety.

He also avoids other geth. From available data, he knows the conflict began with the creators attacking the geth, but war can bring out the worst in all people of all races. His own is not excluded from that rule.

He sees and hears the telltale sign of a docking area ahead, an unknowable amount of spacecraft ready for launch at a moment's notice. He isn't sure at what exact minute they will depart, but he feels the organic equivalent of being glad that he got Nina here in time.

She follows his gaze, catches sight of the ships parked in a desert landing zone, ready for evacuation. There is a decent number of quarian guards, captains, and lower-ranking soldiers around the machines. She takes in the sight of supply crates, and is certain there are many other people inside each ship, probably civilians like her, but strangers. She glances up at him, then back at the ships, and he knows she's unsure of the situation.

He kneels down next to her and says, "This platform cannot go any further, Nina'Haeris. Go to the nearest guard; they will help you."

"But. . .those other s-soldiers. . .at my house. . ." she protests, her voice trembling. "They. . .they hurt my p-parents. . ."

She doesn't trust these soldiers here any more than she did those who walked into her home, fears them, and he doesn't find any fault with that. Still, she needs to be safe, so her only choice here is to go to one of the guards.

"The creators here do not have the same objective as those who entered your residence," he assures her. "They will not ask questions about geth. They will not threaten or harm you. Their purpose is to keep you safe from any dangers of the conflict."

She thinks it over, says, "Promise?"

He nods. "Promise."

She hugs him, her body shaking as she cries again. He lets her stay there for a long moment, not willing to rush her. She's been through enough in the past two days.

When he releases her, he watches her walk down to the evacuation zone. She approaches one of the guards, speaks to him for a minute, moves on with a quarian woman, who takes her inside one of the ships.

She is safe, and for that, Shenn is. . .grateful.

He remains nearby, keeps an eye out for Nina, makes sure she stays with the fleet, and when it abandons Rannoch a week later, his gaze is locked in until they are out of sight.

* * *

 _1896 (epilogue)_

* * *

Shenn keeps track of the days as they go by, eventually marking one year since the day the fleet took its leave from Rannoch and the end of the Morning War.

In that time, he has taken great care of the Haeris home. He has kept it clean and organized, as a small thanks to its owners. He continues to live there, not letting any other geth in. He feels at home under this roof, a feeling he, as a synthetic, doesn't fully understand.

He has long since buried Nina's parents and the two dead soldiers, marking the graves of the Haeris', while leaving the military men's bare. He places a new flower on the headstones each day, eventually letting it grow into a plot, an honorary landmark he names the Garden of Haeris.

He can't quite grasp something that he identifies as hope that Nina will return one day, and that a better future can be allowed between their two people, something that has proven to be possible because of himself and the Haeris family.

* * *

 ** _Notes:_ I'm thinking of writing a short companion piece featuring Nina aboard the Migrant Fleet after it leaves Rannoch. Either immediately after, or at least ten years into the future. Or maybe turn this into a short series. Haven't decided yet. Thoughts?**

 **~RS**


End file.
